Days Thirty Two thru Thirty Nine - Last Week of Vacation

We left Newport Beach in thick, thick fog - we could barely see the bow of the boat. Reading the radar was tricky because of all the boats on moorings.  We were very happy when we were out in the open ocean headed back to Catalina. Frankie & Carrie were in Avalon on a mooring and we decided to do the same.  Peter & Lynne came out the next day on the express boat.  We spent the day in Avalon being tourists - lunch at Steve's and then went on the Casino Tour.

Peter & Lynne taking a spin on the Casino Ballroom dance floor:

Poseidon from the Casino balcony:

The next morning we moved back to White's and anchored.  Frankie & Carrie and their friend's Bobby & Elisia came by dinghy for a visit:

Lynne, always the good sport, tried out the new knee board:

Early Monday morning we pulled anchor and headed for home.  Once out of the lee of the island we had six foot seas at six seconds - not a fun ride.  Testa Dura was right behind us and we decided to use the sloppy seas as a good excuse to extend our vacation a few more days and headed for Marina Del Rey.  We tied up at the guest dock at Burton Chace Park:

We enjoyed a few days at Marina Del Rey - dinghy cruising the harbor, re-provisioning at a local market and a couple of fun dinners out at The Warehouse and Penguinis. We left MDR on Thursday morning (Day 39!) and had a beautiful cruise back to Ventura.

We have this tile on Poseidon that perfectly states our feeling about our guests- "Welcome, our home is your home":

We were very fortunate to be able to share our summer cruise with family and friends.  Thanks to all who were able to join us and/or stop by and visit and made our trip memorable --Dad, Dave, Kim, Steve, David, Peter, Don , Lee, Tabby,   Lynne, Carrie, Frankie, Sarah, Jeff, Marco, Derek, Kim, Dina, Darrin, Ben, Lia, Leo, Carla, Evan, Bart, John M.,  Natalie, Sara, Bobby, Elisia, Miro & Danka.

Days Twenty Six thru Thirty One - Newport Beach

Sarah, Jeff and Marco departed this morning (boo!) and we headed over to Newport Beach Harbor.  About a mile from the harbor entrance we were greeted by dolphins:

Newport Beach has a small designated anchorage area and that's where we like to stay when visiting the harbor. It's located on the main channel so there is always lots of activity - mega-yachts, large party boats:

Sailboat races:

and cute little baby duckies:

This visit we had a very odd experience   As we pulled into the anchorage and were assessing where we would drop our anchor we noticed a powerboat that had anchored too close to a small sailboat and was picking up his anchor. We waited to see if he was going to re-anchor. He did and we waited to see where he ended up before dropping our anchor. We dropped behind him and we were both in great spots – us on the very end of the anchorage almost touching the buoy markers. Well, over the next couple of hours five other boats side tie to the boat in front of us. That’s just what happens here, it is packed on summer weekends. Saturday night, just about cocktail hour, the wind picks up and the flotilla starts drifting towards us. A guy gets in his dinghy and comes over to talk to us. He introduces himself as the “Anchor Master”  for their group and wants us to know they are getting closer to us. John asks what are they going to do about it and the guy says they were hoping we would pick up our anchor and move. What??? And then he says – “And we’re prepared to pay you!!!!” What???? John’s response – “Well, we’re not prepared to move.” We got in our dinghy and left for a harbor cocktail cruise, of course not getting out of sight from Poseidon. Did I mention all six boats were on one anchor??  And all the boats were from Newport Beach and had moorings or slips  in the harbor. We got close, but never touched. Later we couldn't stop laughing about his offer to pay us to move. Wish we knew what his offer would have been. 
Here’s part of the group coming towards us:

While we were in Newport we visited a couple of our favorite restaurants (The Cannery and Bluewater Grill), our favorite store (Charlie's Locker) and re-provisioned at Pavillion's.  We also had several visitors - John Markley, Derek Hanson and Bart & his beautiful girls - Natalie and Sara:



Days Twenty thru Twenty Five - Sarah, Jeff & Marco

Sarah, Jeff, Marco and Jeff's brother Mike arrived early Saturday morning.  John ran out to Avalon in the dinghy and brought them back to White's.

Sarah brought us this beautiful bounty from her garden:

We bought a fishing pole for Marco and he loved it.  He spent hours fishing (or pishing as he calls it) before losing the pole overboard in the last hour of his visit. 

He also enjoyed the Monster Tube:

And now he's ready for the real deal:

We bought fresh sardines the day we left Ventura and they were still alive and kicking almost 4 weeks later:

Jeff caught two almost-keeper halibut:

And Mike caught this incredible sea bass. No sushi for us tonight.

On Sunday the Vellutini and Kimble families came over for a barbecue.  And darn it, I forgot to take a group photo this year.  We had barbecue tri-tip, baked beans, coleslaw, homemade Hawaiian bread and Carrie brought a yummy zucchini pasta.

White's is a beautiful place to kayak.  There are huge kelp beds along the rock walls and the kayaks glide over the top of the kelp.

I guess all these water activities really tired Marco out.  He crawled between the couch and coffee and fell sound asleep!

On Wednesday we moved the boat back over to Avalon.  We were on a great mooring next to the casino:

 We had lunch with Frankie & Carrie at the Avalon Grille.  The sea air got to Marco again and he fell sound asleep in Sarah's lap while we ate lunch.

Dinghy cruise with Papa:

John treated Sarah & I to massages one morning.  I chose Massages by the Sea at Descanso Beach.  Incredible! They open the side of the tent that faces the ocean during the massage, so you hear the lapping of the water on the rocky beach and feel the cool sea breeze.

Descanso Beach:

John was inspired by Marco's haircut, so while we getting our massages the boys went in search of a barber -- and they found the real deal!!

The barber's name is Lolo Saldana, he is eighty one years old and is known as the man with biggest heart in Avalon.

John's new do:

Sarah, Jeff & Marco's Labor Day Vacation is always one of the highlights of the year and , as always, we had a great visit:

Days Fifteen thru Nineteen

 We continued our stay anchored at White's off of Hen Rock.

The weather has been beautiful - high 70's, light winds and calm seas.

Took the dinghy into Avalon a couple of times to re-provision and have John's stitches removed. Frankie & Carrie are on a mooring right behind us so we got together most evenings for cocktails.  Cocktail hour is very fun at White's. At exactly 5:00 someone from the yacht club fires a canon and all the boats in the anchorage honk their horns - just to make sure everyone knows cocktail hour can commence.  I don't think too many boaters need the reminder!

Frankie & Carrie arriving for cocktails and...

Prosciutto & Melon:

And a couple of other yummy things we ate this week -

Barbecued veal chops, eggplant and baby potatoes:

Chicken Quesadillas with Caramelized Onions, Guacamole and Roasted Salsa:

Days Eight thru Fourteen

Monday, August 23, 2010

Peter and his friend Don came out on the express boat for the day.  Don and Peter grew up together in Africa and they shared some great stories with us. The reason for Don's visit was to give us advice for the merchandise for Poseidon Cooks! He is a merchandise consultant for kitchen related items and was quite informative.  We had lunch at Avalon's newest restaurant - The Avalon Grille. Nice place, beautiful bar and different menu.  John had a hamburger topped with lobster!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Our plan was to move the boat back to White's today but we found out one of our guests arriving tommorow is prone to seasickness so decided to stay in Avalon.  We had a great lunch at Steve's Steakhouse.  The restaurant is upstairs and has a great view for people watching.

I spent most of the afternoon in the galley getting a head start on the meals for the next couple of days.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Peter, Lee and his wife Tabby arrived this morning.  Lee is our marketing consultant for Poseidon Cooks!  Take a look at some of the blogs Peter and Lee have been writing on the Poseidon Cooks! Story Page.

John and Peter were launching kayaks and John's finger got caught in a shackle and pretty much ripped the tip of his little finger off.  Thank goodness we were in Avalon and he could get immediate care.  Twenty one stitches later we met at the Sandtrap for a cold beer and lunch.

Tonight's dinner aboard Poseidon with Peter, Lee & Tabby - Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup, Mushroom Lasagne and a Lime Tart.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

The Harbor Patrol stopped by at 8:00 am and said we had to vacate the mooring, but we lucked out and only had to move over one spot.  There is a big south swell rolling in and we did not want to have to move to Descanso Bay (or disgusting bay as we call it - a very rolly anchorage). We spent a liitle time with Lee in the morning discussing our marketing plan, he has some great ideas and we're anxious to see the results. Lee & Tabby were able to get in some snorkeling off of Casino Point before departing late afternoon.

Tonight's dinner - BBQ flank steak, BBQ fennel and stuffed potatoes.

Friday, August 27, 2010

This morning was a little hectic because we had to vacate the mooring by 9:00 am.  John & Peter took the dinghy to the fuel dock to fill up and then over to the express boat ticket office to buy a ticket for Lynne (arriving tomorrow morning).  We cast the mooring line loose just as the bell tower chimed 9:00.  Nice, short ride back over to White's and very happy to be back at anchor.

Lots of excitement in the anchorage today.  The finish line for a sailboat race from Newport Beach was just outside the anchorage. The boats were beautiful and we enjoyed dinghy cruising around the anchorage to get a closer look:

Tonight's dinner - Veal Stew & Polenta

Saturday, August 28, 2010

John & Peter took the dinghy into Avalon this morning to pick up Lynne.  Back at the boat, Lynne convinced Peter to take a ride in the Monster Tube.  I'm pretty sure that Peter won't be talked into another ride any time soon:

This afternoon not only was there another sailboat race, but also a powerboat race:

Sunday, August 29, 2010

We started the morning with sourdough waffles and bacon.  Then after waiting the requisite one hour before getting in the water - actually we discussed all the reasons our parents gave us 50+ years ago why we had to wait an hour after eating before we could swim - that an hour had elapsed and we were safe to jump into the water.

The sailboats had another race back to Newport Beach.  Here they are waiting for the start - spectacular to watch:

After an afternoon of kayaking we dinghied back to Avalon to drop off Peter & Lynne. We stopped at the Landing for boat drinks and a great view of the harbor.  There is a big-time fishing tournament going on and the moorings are packed.  We dropped of Peter & Lynne at the express boat dock and headed back to the peace and quiet of White's.